The Babysitter Arc
by Shul
Summary: Jaune always wanted to be a hero, like his grandfather and his father before him. Unfortunately for him, his family can only see his death awaiting him on that path. Forced to run away and hit the road, Jaune continues his journey to becoming the greatest huntsman he can but he's got to keep lien in his pockets somehow. Time to put being the third oldest sibling to use.
1. Chapter 0: The Babysitter Arc

**Author's Notes:**

**Yo! Just some background about the premise on the story – I was reading some Coeur Al'Aran (love him or hate him, call me a basic bitch; his stories hold some unexplained hold over me whenever I read them), specifically his _"Relic of the Future"_.**

**If you're reading this, you most likely already know at least the basic plot but if you don't… Well, I'd suggest just reading it. Wondered what a Jaune who went through hell would be like meeting STRQ and more importantly interacting with a chibi-version of the entire RBWY cast? Then the story is for you.**

**Plugging for already popular authors aside, Jaune interacting with a younger version of the cast sounding like a pretty nice story premise and I was surprised no-one has written a "Jaune's Day-care" fanfiction on the site. Beholding all the wisdom, I decided to have my own crack at it – so here we are! Let's not hope it flies off the rails too soon, shall we?**

**Light warning: somethings may deviate from perceived canon under the prospect of more interesting storytelling.**

**Oh, and I also re-wrote this, replacing the old Chap. 0.**

**And disclaimer 1: I do take some inspiration for my Arc family OC's from Coeur, if not all of it.**

**Disclaimer 2: I don't own RWBY, created by Monty Oum for Rooster Teeth. May his soul find peace.**

**Without further ado, enjoy the story.**

* * *

Chapter 0: The Babysitter Arc

* * *

"It's just not fair!"

Nicholas Arc took his hand and scratched his rough blonde beard with it's gloved, leather surface.

"Jaune, I'm not letting you do this. There's absolutely no way that you will be able to achieve this foolish dream of yours!"

"B-but you haven't even tried, Dad!" The younger Arc _pleaded_ his father.

From his beard to the hard wooden surface of the kitchen table, his hands slammed on the piece of furniture in pure, unrestrained fury - surprising both his son and the audience at the opposite end of the room.

The action shook the food that lay atop it, now cold despite the heat of the argument.

"I haven't even _tried_ because I know it's not possible, Jaune!" He roared.

"I... I-" tried Jaune.

His head still down, blonde locks obscuring his blue eyes that were bright in anger, Nicholas continued, "People _die_ if they're not prepared and... and I'm _not_ letting you throw your life away like that!"

"...I..."

The Arc household was in shambles.

Perhaps not physically, but most certainly emotionally. Strong bonds that had once united the large family threatened to snap, all while bridges were threatened to be burnt.

It was supposed to be a regular Sunday evening, a regular meal to finish the day, a regular conversation should have unfolded... of which the hopes of dipped drastically as the only son of the house, Jaune Arc, announced at the dinner table:

_"I'm going to become a Huntsman!"_

Nicholas Arc had seen many a good man die in the effort against the Grimm and in the line of a Huntsman's work.

All faces, no names, of people he went on missions with, dead - only remembered by a slab of stone with whatever name they had carved into it over a few lackluster words of their life.

Nicholas Arc did not want his son to be a face without a name.

So, much to the dismay of the entire family at the table, Jaune's father did not take lightly to those words.

_"Don't be absurd, Jaune! No, there's no chance I'm going to allow you to pursue this."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I mean that I'm stopping you from killing yourself!"_

And then, Jaune expressed how his father's decision was 'just not fair!'.

"...I'll train, Dad! Every single day, I'll work blood, sweat and tears just prove to you that I _can_ be a Huntsman!"

"Maybe if you hadn't been slacking off and playing video games for the past seven years of your life we could have enrolled you into a prep school like Signal or Siren - but no! 'Maybe next year' you would tell us every single time we would ask!" Nicholas explained, beyond simply frustrated. "You cannot just become a Hunstsman on a _whim!_"

Jaune's own head dropped at the truth of his father's harsh words. He had been... hesitant in the past, to say the least, But in recent times, his desire to become... _somebody_ had grown immensely.

It's as if one day, he woke up under the soft sheets of his bed and realised that he was wasting his life - his time on Remnant to do something good for the world!

No longer to be the sorry kid who roleplayed with his friends about doing something that he could have really _achieved._

No longer the introverted idiot who stayed in his room every single day to play video games - only coming out when forced by his sisters.

No more being a _loser_; a _nobody_.

Head shooting upwards, Jaune's eyes were bright with determination instead. "I want to be a hero... like my grandfather - _your_ father!"

Unlike his son, Nicholas' head remained down, "Yes my father was a great hero..." before rocketing upwards to reveal his gloomy, dark eyes that were once a brilliant blue. "and he died... without so much as a goodbye!"

Standing up straight, the Arc patriarch bore his sad gaze onto his only son, "I don't want to lose you like that, Jaune."

Then onto each one of his sisters and his mother, "I don't want to lose any of you like that."

Jaune was at a loss for words. Their father rarely showed any signs of weakness, on account of being the pillar of solidarity that he and his sisters could rely on at any point in time. But... in this state, he seemed almost as desperate as the young teen himself.

But the irritation he felt outweighed pity, a gurgling sense of rage overwhelming his logic.

"Graagh! Fine!" Jaune screamed, storming off to the other side of the table and intending to break past the wall of blonde hair that blocked his path.

Without nearly any resistance, Jaune succeeded. For some reason, that hurt him.

But to Jaune's relief, a firm hand found itself onto his shoulder and halted him.

The owner of said hand was Sapphire Arc, the oldest sibling. She had always been the one to end fights that he, or any of his sisters, started thanks to her unnatural ability to take control and assess.

However, now she looked indecisive and hesitant to say anything - her eyebrows furrowed in worry and uncertainty alike.

"Jaune... I just want you to know, that whatever you decide, I'll be there to support you. Even if you make a dumb choice - and knowing you, you probably will - know that we all will still love you," Sapphire told him.

The heartfelt statement received a chorus of nods from her sisters, even Coral - who's book was placed to the side of her instead of it being open and her attention drawn to the contents of its page.

His mother still looked to be in a dilemma about the situation, but after glancing to the sight of her husband, Juniper Arc smiled sadly and bobbing her head slowly.

Suddenly, a weight befell Jaune's midsection as the youngest Arc, Amber, threw herself onto her older brother.

"Please..." she whispered. And even though no other words were said Jaune _felt_ the warm liquid dripping from her eyes and through his black Pumpkin Pete's hoodie.

The hopeful Huntsman could never truly bring himself to be angry at his sisters.

Even when Sapphire and Saffron kept dragging him to the kitchen and into the backgarden to learn how to cook and do laundry.

Even when Hazel and Jade often made him their personal pack mule on shopping trips to the village mall.

Even when Amber and Lavender begged him to play board games with them.

Even when Coral forced a cat-maid outfit onto him in order to recreate a particular scene for one of her novels.

...

Alright maybe not the last one, but the point still stood!

Sapphire was right, his sisters did love him and he reciprocated it dearly.

Taking away the arms that Jaune found out he subconsciously wrapped around Amber's crying form, he lightly hugged his sister before passing her onto the eldest Arc sibling.

With newfound determination, Jaune stood slightly taller and eyes were a little bit sharper.

Albeit wet from the threat of tears welling up, but sharper nonetheless.

He marched to the exit of log cabin - a place betwixt the forests of frontier Mistral - turning back to realise if he really wanted to go on this path, he had to be prepared.

His eyes darted to the wall, a display where the ancestral blade of the Arc lineage hung proudly. It almost called out to him, Jaune felt.

_Wanting_ to be taken with him. Jaune's grasp slowly surrounded the royal-blue leather hilt of Crocea Mors and it - no, she - whispered beautifully.

Strapping and securing it to his waist-side and taking a half-full rucksack of various items, Jaune ran through the door leading to the outside world.

He was going to become a Huntsman, whether his family thought he was or not.

Turning around, half a hundred meters away from the door, he declared, "I'll be back! Next to you see me, I'll be kicking ass and taking names! I _will_ be a hero, and I give you all my word!"

Because after all, an Arc never went back on their word.

As their son dashed into the thick green forest, Juniper Arc turned to her husband, placing her hand onto his arm in a comforting manner.

"Nicky, you should really stop him. What if he gets hurt?"

Nicholas tore the distant look he had from the exit Jaune had gone through, now meeting the eyes of his loving wife.

"Perhaps... this is what he needs. Once he learns that the word out there," he said - pointing towards the door, "is not what he thinks he's like, he'll come running back home. And I promise I'll be there for him when he does."

To reassure his claim, the bearded man placed a small kiss onto his wife's lips.

"Do you really think he'll come back to us?" Juniper questioned, still hung up from her son's actions.

"Absolutely," Nicholas stated, not quite giving his full word.

His son way past the barrier that separated the Arc's from the wild, Nicholas could not have been more wrong.

**/*-*/**

It was a beautiful day outside. Birds were twittering and vegetation was thriving while black beasts on the ground roared and swiped crazily.

"HOLY SHIT!" Cursed Jaune as he barely managed to dodge an ivory white claw that would have torn a chunk out of him if he didn't move.

The wilderness had given him a whole two-day 'no Grimm' mercy period in which it was just hiking, camping and eating Pumpkin Pete's. Unfortunately for the blonde, perhaps possibly also fatally, his worn combat boots had created somewhat of a ruckus thanks to the large number of leaves that came under them - alerting a small, but nearby, pack of Beowolves.

Damn his inability_ (and also lack of need)_ to buy stealthy footwear!

Turning to face the wild beasts that threatened his life, he counted three black masses in the shape of wolves - including the one that had just did a one-eighty to stalk it's prey once more after it's failed charge.

To Jaune's credit, he had actually managed to force Crocea Mors' sharp edge through the midsection of the Grimm who was now furthermost, hiding behind the non-wounded members of its pack. And, for all the slack these monsters get for being 'mindless', they sure knew how to survive.

Whether natural instincts meant cognitive function or not, Jaune decided to leave that to the many scholars dedicated towards the subject.

As an additional note, Jaune probably used up all the good luck and karma built up over his fifteen years of walking on Remnant in a swing of good fortune.

He also hoped that the Gods accepted debt because he'd like to loan out a little more luck to finish off the rest of the pack.

I mean, sure, he knew _some_ swordplay thanks to the grand total of five lessons his dad made him take but those were to combat _people_, not creatures of Grimm!

Why were Huntsmen even teaching people how to fight other people instead of Grimm anyway?!

The answer to his question came in the form of a clumsy roll through the mud, staining is already bloody blue jeans. Wait - blood?!

Oh Gods, he was bleeding!

Since when did he start bleeding?

The answer, in this instance, took the appearance of bone meeting steel and an ear-splitting screech as Crocea Mors cried from its surface being struck.

It's resulting force steadily pushing Jaune back, forcing the young teen to slide the weight off quickly.

Teeth, a pure white and all sharp, showed themselves to Jaune as the Beowolf growled menacingly - indicating it's oncoming attack as Jaune noticed.

Having grown the balls to neither roll _or_ block, the teen knight shoved Crocea Mors through the black beast's exposed stomach as it flew through the air.

Crocea Mors gleaned under the sunlight as her edge penetrated the mass of coal flesh, however, the momentum from the jump forced Jaune to stumble backwards as the corpse slid off the sword.

It emanated a whimper from its maw, or as close to a whimper as the satanic monster could muster before dissipating to a fistful of ash that drifted in the light wind.

...Did he do it?

He killed an honest to Gods Grimm!

Jaune laughed at the face of Fate, who told him he couldn't.

Man, he killed one Grimm and left the other to probably bleed out and die!

The blonde could die happy at this point, out of the three...

There had been three Grimm.

Jaune's happy expression faded, instead leaving his face contorted in a mixture of pain and disappointment - in mostly himself - as a claw tore through Jaune's black hoodie and pink flesh.

He really should have put on some armour.

Though, looking at the wound, it was deep. Mortally deep. Maybe even steel wouldn't have stopped it from ripping through the blonde.

Then the pained kicked in.

The immeasurable amount of it, coursing and pulsating throughout his body that not even the adrenaline from earlier could numb.

It screamed at him to get away, but the twisted irony is that he could not comply with the demand as the boy could no longer feel the legs underneath from him.

Red was all Jaune could see through his once blue eyes. His eyes were still blue, of course, he just meant the blood - oh Gods the blood.

There was so much.

It _hurt_ so much.

Was his father right?

He was, Jaune knew.

He was unprepared and so, he was going to die - just like his father prophecised.

His family - what would the rest of them think?

Would his mother cry?

He knew Amber would, the feeling of her tears on his clothes still fresh on his mind.

Sorry, Amber, maybe Arc's do sometimes go back on their word...

Is that... Uncle Vlad? Cross the river and enter the light? Yeah, sure, why not - what?

No! Fuck off Uncle Vlad, Jaune Arc wasn't going to give into Death's door that easily.

Even with any form of mobility scraped from the young Arc's arsenal, Jaune used the last remnants of energy keeping him conscious to yell at the top of his voice:

_"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"_

"..."

...Silence. Not even the forest replied to his mortal plea.

There was no help; nobody would come.

There was only death, pain, and suffering - all three awaiting him.

This time, Jaune internally apologised to his father and his family.

To anyone he thought would care, he sent his inside thoughts and prayers.

He was sorry to everyone.

But mostly..?

He was sorry for himself.

Just some loser kid pretending to be a hero in the end, wasn't he?

And as the young Arc took the thought into the darkness with him, he could have sworn the mocking grin of the creature above being wiped away by the silvery steel of a blade across it's neck.

* * *

**Ending notes:**

**I actually drafted a beginning where Jaune was already on the road, but this felt like fewer plotholes would have and fewer questions would have been asked.**

**Uh oh, looks like our golden-haired hero's on the ropes of death, but who's the savior?**

**Don't worry, we'll get to actually babysitting next chapter. And I swear the other chapters will be longer - this was just a prologue of sorts!**

**(EN FROM THE FUTURE: Also, I took the time to rewrite this - taking out a few previous inconsistencies - so I wonder if it's any better...)**


	2. Chapter 1: Between a Flower and a Hammer

**Author's notes:**

**On the topic of OC's, there's will only really be a single one. She'll play a vital role in Jaune's connections to the rest of Remanent, seeing as it's one of the only ways I could think of _to_ connect Jaune across continents. I needed some other plotline to give a reason for him to travel and babysit while keeping his main goal of wanting to be a Huntsman.**

**Welcome to the first story arc of sorts! We have our first pair of the baby-sat, who I'm sure you can guess from the title alone.**

**Little clear-up, last chapter I said Jaune was seventeen. I'm just gonna go out and say that he's actually fifteen. This gives him two years worth of travel time before Beacon starts for him.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. Created by Monty Oum and owned by Rooster Teeth.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Between a Flower and a Hammer

* * *

_"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" _

"Ren, Ren, Ren, did you hear that?!"

"Nora, shush." A boy with dark black hair with a peculiar single pink strip running through it put his finger against the mouth of a ginger girl who was now cross-eyed looking at his finger.

Moving away from the darn silencing finger, Nora looked worryingly in the direction of the scream.

"But it sounds like someone's in trouble, Ren... Like _real_ trouble!"

Ren gazed into the treeline where the plea for help came from, lost in thought for a second. Whatever differed 'real' trouble from 'regular' trouble aside, he shrugged anyway.

"I doubt that there is too much that we are capable of helping with, Nora. We aren't exactly built for battle, " the rose-eyed boy gestured to himself and then Nora. "We have yet to learn any form of combat and don't wield any weapon of our own."

"But, we could totally like, sneak under the legs of the Grimm or something!" Nora suggested.

"I don't think that's very wise, Nora. We were only sent out here to pick berries for her today and anyway, if we heard it, then it's pretty clear that Miss Shima has as well."

Just as if on cue, a cloaked figure lept through the bushes - leaving a trail of leaves in its wake. The cloak was a navy blue, holstering two silver daggers by the hip and a hole behind that revealed a striped tail of orange and black.

Nora's eyes widened in admiration and her mouth formed a large 'O' before she gasped, "Oh my gosh, Miss Shima is _so _amazing, isn't she, Ren? Isn't she?!"

Ren took a red berry from the littered ground that flew through the air after Miss Shima rustled the bushes around them. Putting it in his basket, he stood to look with Nora into the space where their caretaker had disappeared into.

"Yes, Nora, she is."

**/*-*/**

The moment that ear-piercing scream graced her feline ears, she was running. Leaping across shrubbery, Tora Shima raced to the area where she had heard the voice.

Some young girl needed saving!

She saw Ren and Nora completing their chores along the way, bless those two children. A real tragedy what happened to their hometown. She had found them dirty and wounded while she was carrying firewood for her lodge since winter was coming up and all. She dropped it all instantly and slugged them both onto her two shoulders to bring them to safety.

Hopefully, she could do the same here.

Approaching the perimeter, Shima saw the wounded figure of a Beowolf on its last legs. The whimpers from its mouth didn't change the amount of sympathy the matron had as she promptly disposed of it with her twin daggers. Kuro and Oren slit its throat with frightening accuracy as Shima herself was already moving towards the sight of a blonde girl in a pool of deep crimson.

Snorting, another Beowolf circled the fatally wounded girl. Unfortunately for the bone-plated monster, it wasn't getting it's dinner tonight, or ever again. Shima's speed accelerated at alarming rates until she was a spinning blur of black and orange. Her two daggers burrowed their way into the Grimm's hide repeatedly and alternatively until the black mass turned to ashy dust.

Sheathing her dual blades around her hips, she instantly turned to the dying blonde behind her. Upon closer inspection, the person she assumed to be a girl had the face and build of a young man. Either the girl was brought up under strict rules or the 'girl' was in fact just a guy. Whoops.

Her hazel eyes flashed to the red gash that decorated the blonde's stomach area. A wretched sight to be sure, but nothing she hadn't seen before on the field.

It wasn't too deep, but the kid would still bleed out if it wasn't patched-up correctly. Understanding this, Shima dug a hand into a pouch, which was on the belt that also held her two blades, taking it back out to show a silver syringe that contained a green substance within.

Hovering the sharp tip over the arm of the mortally wounded blonde, she prepared the contents to enter his bloodstream,

"Hope you aren't too afraid of needles, kid."

Injecting the green liquid into his arm, the woman waited for the effects to kick in. Aura boosters were a real gift on missions, pick-me-ups for whoever may need them. Whether it be after a long hike through the mountains or being on the brink of death due to Grimm, these babies were made to make sure your aura kept on flowing.

So, she waited. And waited. And waited some more. Until it was frightening clear that there was no magical glowing or sudden gasp of life or any sign at all that indicated that the boosters had, in fact, worked.

Panic started to settle in, albeit slight, as Shima retracted the needle back into her med-pouch. This was fine. It's completely normal that a kid would walk around Mistral's forests with a weapon fighting Grimm without aura, right? Gods, what could she do...?

The tailed woman breathed in and released a deep sigh as she drew up her arm and raised the cloak's dark blue sleeves to reveal pale skin as she placed her hand across the young man's heart.

She wasn't supposed to do this, damn it, but she was hardpressed if she was about to let somebody else die on her watch. No way, not again.

Her hand started to glow a bright orange, which eventually traveled up her arm and throughout her body as she chanted:

_"For it is in dying that we understand immortality. Through this, we become the epitome of love and virtue to guide above all. Forever in time and bound by life, I release your soul, and through my hand, breathe life into thee."_

Sudden pain coursed through her arm for the slightest moment has a white flow flared to life, surrounding the lying blonde. It was impressive how much aura he had, would surely prevent this from happening again as long as he was careful.

Taking her arm back, Shima drew both her arms underneath the black hoodie that clothed him and dragged him upwards into a bridal hold. The underneath of the cloth was damp and warm from blood as it still dripped downwards.

She bounded through the greenery towards her house where she would fix up the lad's clothing and equipment - or lack thereof.

What was peculiar, however, was how tightly he gripped that sword of his, even while at the mouth of Death.

**/*-*/**

Jaune woke to bright, white light. Regrettably, the next sense to grace Jaune with its presence was the immense feeling of pain. He could only groan as he tossed and turned to try numb it.

"Hnnnghh... Gods it hurts like a bi-"

"Psst, Ren, I think he's awake!" A young voice faux whispered. The kind of whisper that made it seem as though an attack Bullhead was where you learned how to communicate.

"Yes, I know, Nora. Try not to disturb him too much, alright?" A more masculine voice said. Well, as masculine as you could sound at, what? Seven? Eight?

The voices were followed by the appearances of two children. The one leading the other in was a boy black hair and bright pink eyes while the other was a ginger girl with blue eyes, much lighter than his own.

The boy carried a freshly damp towel that he placed carefully onto Jaune's head as he walked over to the nightstand beside him and gestured for the girl to place her item there. It looked like an incense of sorts. Mom would normally place them all around the house after they went on a family trip to the city, saying how it would invigorate the household or some other mumbo-jumbo like that.

"Is that better for you?" asked the young boy.

Jaune nodded, already feeling calmer and at ease thanks to the soothing temperature of the towel and pleasant scent of the incense.

The girl behind pushed the rose-eyed boy out of the way as she gushed: "So how was it, you know?! Like, fighting the Grimm and stuff!"

"Nora, please, give the man some peace."

"Aw, come on, Ren!" She turned to face the boy. "It's not every day we get somebody else who fights the Grimm. We're gonna be huntsmen too one day, we gotta know what they're like!"

"Still, he's recovering and - "

The conversation continued but Jaune didn't - couldn't listen. Grimm? Did he fight Grimm? When was that...? He remembered running away from home, camping, hiking and...

Jaune ripped his covers away from him as his sea-blue eyes darted across his torso. Where the hell was the huge red claw mark? Why the hell wasn't he dead? Who the hell could have saved his sorry ass?

He was only brought out of his haze of questions by the sound of another pair of feet coming into his room.

"Well, well, well, look who's decided it's wakey-wakey time." Her voice purred.

Her hair was short and shoulder length, bunned near the back. Her eyes were a milky hazel and her skin was pale and fair. She wore a Mistralian robe that wrapped around her in black and orange and a waistband highlighted her curves. Two daggers hung loose on the band but what was more interesting was her feline ears and striped tail. She was a faunus.

"Uh -"

"Now, now, kid, you're still recovering." She walked forward, tracing her fingers across his stomach. "Though I'll admit, your aura reserves are spectacular. No scar, no nothing."

Aura? Hell was that? Questions for later, Jaune filed away.

Calling upon his father's wisdom to be more confident and his mother's repeated drilling of manners into his head - Jaune greeted the feline woman with his name.

"Ahem. My name's Jaune. Jaune Arc."

"..."

"That's what you say first?" She chuckled. "Not 'where am I?' or 'who are you?', huh? Hah. Treating this like it's some sort of formal event or something."

She extended her own hand.

"My name is Tora Shima, a pleasure to save your life, Jaune Arc."

Taking her hand, Jaune could feel the rogue callouses that dotted around it. Her skin looked smooth but upon touch, it seemed worn and rough. Experienced. And save his life? Gods, the questions he had.

"So, uh, where am I?"

"Onto the important questions, I see. Well, I found you half-dead in a pool of your own liquids somewhere in the middle of the Mistralian forests and about to be taken into a Beowolf's maw as it's dinner."

Jaune's hand subconsciously found itself on his stomach, rubbing it wearily.

"Luckily for you, I heard your voice as I was in the area with these two kiddos doing a few things for the place." She continued, pointing her thumb to the children who Jaune deduced were Ren and Nora from their previous interaction. "By the way, you sound like a complete girl when you scream."

"Thanks for that, " Jaune smiled. "I think that almost being Grimm food would do that for the best of us."

Shima paused for a second before a grin cracked on her face. She slapped a bare palm on Jaune shoulder _hard_ causing him to cry out in pain like a baby girl.

"Well if you've still got that wit about you, you should be fine to start helping out around here!"

Still recoiling from the pain that blasted hand brought him, Jaune could have sworn the woman before him said something about 'helping out around here'.

"Sorry, did you say something about 'helping out around here'?" Jaune echoed his inner mindscape.

Shima turned just before she was about to leave the door, one hand on the frame. "Well, yeah. It's the least you could do for us after I saved your life and everything." She said, walking out and down a set of stairs. But before she was out of ear-shot she called back out to him. "If it's that much of a problem for you, we can always provide you with some lien as long as you aren't gonna slack on the job."

The mention of money had perked Jaune's interest. He would need lien if he wanted to purchase equipment and more importantly, _food_. Gods knew how little he had in the past two days of travel. The Arc had managed to snag a box of Pumpkin Pete's on his way out but those had lasted less than a day because of how god damn _good_ they were. Not _for you. _Just _good_.

Thinking of food alone caused Jaune's gut to rumble in excitement. And pain. Mostly the latter.

"Ooo, ooo, Ren, he's _hungry_!" Nora pointed out, with a little bit _too_ much excitement.

"Well, it makes sense. His body would require fuel to power his aura after all the work it put itself through to repair his body." Ren assessed logically, his chin resting in between his fingers with thought.

"Sorry, but you wouldn't actually happen to have food here, would you?"

Looking back upwards, Ren analyzed the look on the blonde's face and nodded. "We do. Follow me, please."

With no other real alternative, Jaune complied with the boy who was just a little above half his own height. Probably around 4" 5 or 6. So, he followed Ren through the door and down the stairs Shima had come down earlier with Nora skipping behind them merrily.

**/*-*/**

The building Jaune woke up in was very traditional and wooden. At least what Jaune would assume was traditional from all the Mistralian anime he watched in his room. Rooms were furnished in short banners that seemed hand-painted with symbols that Jaune had seen around the city of Mistral on family trips. From the bottom of the stairs, the view of a dining table was in sight. Looking as though it could hold six people, a bowl of fruit was at the center - accompanied by a small note at its side which read: "_If I don't see you have one of these at each meal you're not getting any cookies! -Miss Shima_" in neat cursive writing.

Multiple doors were at the walls around the dining room. To Jaune's right was a living room area, where the blonde could see a large flat screen TV. How did they get a hold on that? It was forest as far as the eyes could see. Which wasn't that far as the eyes couldn't see past the thick logs of wood that were at every angle. Opposite Jaune and past the dining table was what seemed to be a path along a corridor to the exiting double doors. On the left was an open kitchen with a serving window through the wall where Shima was currently busy stirring away.

"Like what you see?" The faunus woman asked, turning away from the dish she was making. She gestured around the dining area. "Built her myself over a few years."

A loud cough came from Nora, who had her fist balled up near her mouth before she looked up once more - arms crossed and looking expectantly. Ren could only seem slightly exasperated as he facepalmed and shook his head.

Shima bent down to ruffle the ginger's head as she preened in the praise like some sort of bird. "With a _little_ help from the little ones, of course."

Jaune took another look at the furniture and made his way to the window. Outside he saw another building, wooden and smaller.

The hazel-haired matron saw his gaze and explained, "That's our second building. It's where I take the kids to bathe and where we do our laundry."

"Where are we?"

"Didn't I tell you? My home, " she opened the window and breathed in the fresh forest air. "Somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Calm and peaceful. Close enough to nearby villages for supplies and materials and close enough to the sea for a day out every now and again."

"Who are you?"

Shima made her eyes meet Jaune's and made an amused, slightly annoyed, grin. "Wow, either you have some sort of memory problem or you're too thick-skulled to get it through your head." Her hands poked the side of his head lightly. "I'm just a woman trying to save those who need saving."

Patting his cheeks twice she walked off and called out, "Come on then, Jaune, let's get you acquainted at your new workplace. Chop chop."

**/*-*/**

After a short tour around the different facilities, Jaune, Shima and their two little tagalongs found themselves sat back at the dining table, food served. It was a meat stew of sorts, warm and comforting in both taste and nature. The blonde at the table thought to how she could have used a little bit more pepper and left it to simmer slightly longer to make the meat more tender but quickly shook the thoughts from his mind.

"So, Jaune..." Shima's voice startled Jaune, making him jump slightly.

"Y-yeah?"

"Where's your family?"

The question was innocent enough but numerous scenarios played out in Jaune's head. What if told the truth? Would she try to take him back and be forced by his father to give up his dream? Or would he lie and have to constantly sink deeper into a spider web of half-truths?

"It's not like I'd bring you back, or anything." She continued. "I've already spent the effort to indoctrinate you here. I'm just mildly curious. Though if you don't want to share, that's completely up to you." Shima took a spoonful of the stew and looked to Ren and Nora.

Nora was shoveling the food into her mouth while Ren desperately attempted to slow her down, to no avail.

"My family... they... they don't really want me." In a sense, it was a lie. But in another, it was not. They wanted their son back. But they didn't want him to be a Huntsman.

"I see. That's extremely unfortunate. I'm sorry."

"I am too."

Shima finished off her bowl and strolled to the sink to place it there. Ren followed as soon after, so did Nora. She tussled their hair and told them to go and play. No reason to disagree, the two children made their way outside. Nora's playful screams could be heard as she dashed around the house while Ren struggled to keep up.

"Why did you take me in?"

"I wasn't just going to let you die in the middle of nowhere, kid. What did you expect?"

"That's not what I meant," Jaune looked upwards to meet Shima's hazel eyes. "Why do you want me to help around _your_ house?"

The woman in question leaned against the kitchen worktop, both hands placed upon it.

"Just seemed right. I took those two in while they were on the brink of death, so why not you two?" She said, referring to Ren and Nora.

"I want to be a Huntsman."

Eyebrow raised, "You do, do you?" She asked.

"What I'm trying to say is that I can't stay here."

Shima took her hands from the countertop and placed them on her hips where Kuro and Oren lay. "Jaune, if you go out there, you'll die. You saw what a pack of _three_ Beowolves did to you. What the hell do you think will happen if you come across a larger pack? Gods forbid an Alpha?" She took her hands and mimicked ripping, repeating the gesture many times. "This. This is what'll happen."

_"Being a Huntsman is not something you do on a whim... people **die** if they are unprepared!"_

Jaune couldn't refute the lady's point. He _had_ almost died. He was just lucky that she was in the area. Looks like he did owe the Gods some good luck after all.

Shima's eyes softened at Jaune's expression of defeat. "But," She continued. "I'm not against making you learn how to _not_ die next time. That's a pretty well-crafted sword you had on you."

Crocea Mors! That's right, where was it?! The Arc family blade passed down from generation to generation, used by heroes to be passed onto heroes that -

"I left it in the storage room for you if you want to pick it up later on."

Oh.

"What's the catch then?"

The brunette raised her eyebrows in amusement before saying, "Skeptical, are we? I like it, though. Smart. The catch is you start helping out around here. You see, I've got to meet my sister in Menagerie on some business stuff soon," she shrugged. "Can't really take the kiddos with me seeing as it's going to be a multiple day journey and I'm not dealing with Nora's attitude on travel." As if to punctuate her statement, another crash, giggle and the resounding "Nora..." from Ren sounded from outside.

She continued, "I want to get it over with, so I'm leaving tomorrow." Shima pushed herself away from the kitchen top and moved past Jaune.

"How... why are you trusting me?"

Shima's black and orange tail swung as Shima herself turned halfway, looking into Jaune's eyes with her single hazel one.

"Let's just say... I can see it in your eyes." She explained, before turning back around to call Ren and Nora in.

...

...What the hell did that mean?

**/*-*/**

Nora's eyes were wide in disbelief, "You're going _AWAY_?!"

"Nora, she went away to the city herself just a few weeks ago." Ren deadpanned.

"But that was for a single day. This for at least..." Nora paused to think. "_More _than a single day. 'Cause Menagerie's real far away and all!"

"Don't worry your little heads off. I'm leaving Jaune here to take care of you, so you don't have to worry."

Ren looked at the blonde in question doubtfully. "With all due respect, he did almost die taking on a pack of Grimm. Are you sure, he can take on... this, Miss Shima?" He asked his guardian, pointing towards Nora.

"Huh - "

"Of course he can, Ren. Don't you worry." Shima said, cutting of Nora's response.

Glaring at Shima, Nora moved towards Jaune - her head still fixated onto her caretaker like an owl. Finally removing her gaze, she stuck a hand out with a wide smile.

"Well if Miss Shima trusts you, so do I! Nice to meet you, Mr. Jaune, the name's Nora Valkyrie!" Nora said enthusiastically. "And this nice boy behind me is Lie Ren!"

Ren followed soon after, offering his own hand behind Nora's, creating a two-handed hand.

"Indeed. I hope that you'll look after Nora and I for the duration of Miss Shima's leave."

Jaune took both of their hands in his bigger one and shook vigorously under the influence of Nora's energy.

"I give you my word," Jaune said.

He was going to be a great Huntsman and hero. But along the way, he was going to meet people. People that, maybe in another time would have formed bonds with nonetheless. But here and now, Jaune had the become Jaune the Babysitter, who also happened to want to become a Huntsman. He had to keep lien in his pockets somehow, after all.

He was also hoping that his older sister's lessons and experience with his younger sisters would help him out some, because even if Jaune didn't know it himself - Gods knew how much he was going to need it.

* * *

**Ending notes:**

**So I said we were getting to babysitting this chapter but I guess I lied. _Next_ chapter, I swear. For realsies this time.**

**Say hello to Tora Shima, though. My only OC throughout this entire story. Try figure out what kind of Faunus she is, props to whoever answers correctly. **

**Ren and Nora will be the first to experience the babysitting, that a good thing or a bad thing for them? Guess we'll find out next chapter.**

**The goal here was to make it seem realistic on who would meet Jaune first. From Mistral, we have Ren and Nora, Pyrrah, possible Mercury and Emerald (yes those were choices). Out of a debut championship fighter, thief and son of an assassin and a pair of orphans, the boop couple seemed most likely and more sensical.**


	3. Chap 2: Between a Flower and a Hammer II

**Author's Notes:**

**Hi! Thank you for keeping with the story so far, it's been a fun experience writing my first story and all. **

**This chapter was sort of a pain to write, wonder if you can guess why as you read the chapter. Not really good at that kind of stuff.**

**I have to say, it's pretty weird having my future plotlines being figured out already - almost like some of you read my mind!**

**On the topic of reviews, I'd like to address a few things:**

**1\. Saffron's spelling actually being "Saphron".  
**

**Let's just say that Saffron is _not_ Saphron from canon, she's her own OC of sorts. I know I said Shima was the only OC, but the whole Arc family are technically OC's just not_ main _OC's. At least not yet.**

**2\. Shima's faunus feature.**

**Sorry! Messed up here. I didn't see the WOR on faunus, so this blew past me. Her _singular_ faunus trait is her striped tail. Let's get those ears out of the equation, eh?**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy the antics JNR (Junior? That's fitting.) get up to in this chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Between a Flower and a Hammer II

* * *

Soon enough, the next day was upon them all. Shima had donned a more regal looking robe, one that was spotlighted in grand white patterns featuring all around her body. Her arms were bare from the shoulder down, showing her smooth white skin which Jaune had to appreciate as a growing young man. On both of her ears were large circular earrings and tied around near the base of her tail was a neat red bow.

Sleep had come easy for Jaune. Lacking a spare room with a bed, Shima told Jaune to sleep on the couch downstairs which Jaune happily agreed too, having little to no reason to complain since his life was saved by the woman and all. The cushions were comfortable enough. Smelt like flowers too.

The hopeful Huntsman was greeted to a rude awakening, courtesy of Nora screaming "PANCAKES!", even though Ren and Shima made waffles with chocolate spreading. Not like it mattered to Nora, however. She still scoffed them with extreme, but not pancake-y, prejudice.

Before they knew it, Shima was prepared to head towards the port in order to catch the nearest ferry to Menagerie.

Bending down, she took both Ren and Nora into her two arms and squeezed them both tightly in affection.

"Alright, kiddos, try not to make life too hard on Jauney-boy here, okay?" She told them, 'Jauney-boy' already hating his new personal form of addressal.

The overexcited ginger gave a mock salute, "Yes, ma'am! No need to worry here, no sir - uh - ma'am!" Nora corrected.

"You'll keep an eye on her won't you, Ren?" asked Shima, a hand over her mouth - covering Nora's view - to simulate secrecy.

"Of course, Miss Shima." the ever-polite Ren replied.

"Hey - " Nora was cut off by another hair ruffle from her caretaker while she laughed silently.

The faunus lady took her hand from Nora's orange head and found itself on Jaune's shoulder.

"Don't let me down, Jaune. This'll be a couple days tops. Won't even be a week. You can manage that right?" She said to Jaune, looking him dead in the eyes. The mix of hazel and navy making him blush slightly in the intensity of her stare.

He could totally manage a few days looking after kids. Hell, he used to do it all the time when his mother was in bed sick while Sapphire and Saffron were on an expedition. Surely two children couldn't be too bad.

Surely.

"Y-yeah. I've got it covered, ma'am."

"Psh. Call me Shima. We've come that far, haven't we?"

Shima took her leave, stopping only at the border of trees to look and wave back before disappearing completely into the combination of green and brown around them. So then -

"What do we do first?!" Nora practically screamed.

Jaune stood thoughtfully in the open green, coming to the conclusion he had no idea what their daily routine was. His face must have betrayed his thoughts as Ren came to the rescue.

"Normally, at this time, we would check on the laundry to see if it had dried over the night."

Well that made sense, his sisters would -

"If it has, we neatly put it away in their respective drawers. If not, we leave until later in the afternoon."

Okay, that was fine -

"Then after that, Miss Shima would normally get started on lunch, preparing the ingredients for cooking. If she has time, she may tend to the flower garden we have around the back."

Cook? Saph and Saff gave him pretty detailed rundowns on specific dishes when they had the time to. Jaune wondered what ingredients -

"She may have given me and Nora different tasks depending on what she would like to be procured for her. We actually have berries that we picked from yesterday that you could use as a - "

"Ren."

"Yes?" Ren looked quizzically at the blonde young man that stopped him mid-sentence.

"How... old are you..?"

"Eight."

" - And a half!" Nora added usefully. Poor Ren.

So a kid slightly older than half his age and slightly bigger than half his height essentially had the mind of a master housemaid? That was pretty impressive. Jaune was starting to question why the faunus woman even bothered to leave him in charge if Ren had everything on lockdown already.

"If you want, I can just get started on dusting the house, Jaune."

Wow. "Sounds like a plan."

Ren looked downwards to the grass which swayed in the light breeze, only to look back up to Jaune.

"Could you get the duster for me? It's on the highest shelf in the storage room, to the left."

Oh. That's why.

**/*-*/**

While the mini-maid of the house was busy... well, being a mini-maid, the young Arc decided to heed Ren's advice on what they should do. As he made his way to the secondary building - which housed all the laundry and washing facilities - Nora decided to tag along and 'help' as best she could. Which, in Nora, translated to taking the sheets from the clotheslines and wrapping them around her, proclaiming she was a fantastic Huntress wielding her mightly hammer to eradicate the Grimm.

It reminded Jaune of the games he used to play as a kid with his sisters, specifically Azure and Amber who liked to play Damsel-In-Distress with himself as a the Knight-In-Shining-Armour. Under normal circumstances, Jaune would have found the sight endearing and nostalgic to a degree. These were not normal circumstances.

"HAHAHA! BEGONE FOUL GRIMM! I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE NOW!"

"Nora, hold a sec - woah!" Jaune yelped, narrowly dodging a charging Nora that could have easily done more damage than the Beowolves from before ever could.

Truth be told, Jaune was completely up for unsheathing Crocea Mors to stop the rampaging beast in child form.

So he did.

Hey, he had to stop Nora's misconstrued line of thought on what a Huntress was _somehow_, right?

Waking Crocea Mors from her slumber, Jaune took a battle stance and cried out, "Stop, Mad Queen! I've come to put an end to your reign of terror!"

The orange haired girl stopped, pondering whether or not she should play up to the role of a crazed monarch.

Nora stopped her wrathful stampede and slowly turned around, pushing her arm out to flap about her white sheet-cloak for dramatic effect.

"Kukuku, poor knight. You dare underestimate my illimita - illa - power that has no limit?"

The blonde knight ignored her cute inability to pronounce the word 'illimitable' and instead continued down with his own dialogue, "You've brought this land more destruction and chaos than the Grimm ever did!" He made Crocea Mors' sweet voice whisper as he drew the blade to face Nora, with no care for how unsafe and irresponsible it looked to hold a sharpened sword to a child no older than eight.

Their fun was cut short, however, when Ren came out of the house wearing a white apron and duster in hand and an eyebrow raised so high - it could knock a Nevermore right out of the sky.

He was ever so slightly twitchy and his face was twisted in a vain attempt to keep calm.

"So picture this. I'm cleaning the house, dusting the places that need dusting. I see the window needs dusting. I walk over to the window to dust it, " the rose-eyed boy said - waving his duster sharply to emphasise. "I see someone twice Nora's size point the bad end of a sword to her - all while she's wearing a bedsheet like a makeshift cloak. _What_ am I supposed to think?"

Ren's enraged, but all things considered - pretty well controlled, question was answered as Nora scooched over to his side and pretended to hold him at knifepoint with a stick she somehow managed to get her hands on.

"Your maiden is in my possession, _knight_. What can you do now? Nothing! That's what! Give up or your fair lady gets it!"

Nora's plan of action was brilliant, so brilliant in-fact, not even Ren could formulate a coherent response to the insane levels of shenanigans that were taking place.

"Bwah? " Ren tried.

"Nay! Good lady Ren!" Jaune faux cried in dread. "I swear I will release you from the Evil Queens clutches!"

"Uh - "

"Pshh. You can try, _hero_, but I can assure you it will end in your death!"

"..."

"I swear on my Arc word; I will vanquish you and bring peace to the land!"

Eventually, Ren gave up trying to escape. He wouldn't really admit it to anyone, especially Nora, but he enjoyed playing the Princess that single time.

**/*-*/**

The dramatic conclusion of the battle ended with Nora, the Mad Queen, summoning her elite guardsmen to fight amongst her in an action-packed one on ten against Jaune. The orange-haired bundle of energy called for a cliffhanger because '_it would have been cooler to guess what happens_' at the end, as opposed to actually finishing the battle.

He would have obviously won, of course.

Even Ren, after repeatedly trying to escape Nora's grasp, found himself enraptured by the storyline. Even if the boy wanted to try and hide his excitement, Jaune - having lived with five younger sisters - could read the raven-haired boy's face like a book. The way his eyes would dart between who was speaking and how he widened them at theatrical phrases had obviously meant he was engrossed in the roleplay.

The trio found themselves within the wooden lodgings now, Nora glued to the flatscreen television - the one that Jaune still had no idea how they got a hold of - and Ren beside him in the kitchen while they were preparing lunch.

Ren changed into a different apron, the other one being dirtied in a blend of dust and mud from earlier activities. His smaller figure was propped up by a small wooden box, only a foot or two in height.

The green-wearing boy worked diligently, cutting carrots and garlic with deadly efficiency. One after the other, the vegetables were split into pieces on the light-brown board under his knife. Jaune really had to appreciate the work ethic of the smaller boy, not really getting a chance not too - as he consistently proved his ability and skill around the house.

Occasional giggles and remarks from Nora, aimed at the T.V, filled the comfortable silence the other two had. It was almost unnatural how easily the blonde bonded with both Ren and Nora, seemingly accepting him as soon as their guardian decided to place trust into the Huntsman hopeful. It was endearing, in a way.

Ren's eyes were zoned into each precise slice he made, mesmerising even Jaune - who paused to take a look at the other's handiwork. Curiosity got the better of him, making him quiz Ren on the boy's capability.

"So, Ren."

Ren didn't even hesitate as he responded, continuing to prep the vegetables. "Yes, Jaune?"

"Where'd you learn how to handle a knife like that?"

"It came with losing our home."

Damn. Jaune did _not_ expect the conversation to go down that route, that quickly. In complete honesty, it didn't take a genius to figure out they were taken in by Shima at one point. Shima's genes didn't really look to have passed down onto those two. Furthermore, Jaune could vaguely recollect Shima off-handedly mentioning it sometime yesterday.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up." Jaune said, truthfully.

Ren actually paused in his work, delaying slightly before he spoke. "It's... fine. Nora and I... we learnt to move forward afterward."

"Would you like to talk about it with me?" The older Arc usually had to deal with his sisters' problems. Even if Jaune wasn't strong enough himself to stand up to bullies, he would try his damndest to comfort them. Jaune strived to become another pillar of solidarity, just like his father was to all of them. He also learnt it was best to broach the subject directly - but gently.

"I don't see why not, " Ren said. He put down his knife carefully and seemed interested in a particular spot on the countertop, "I suppose that it's only appropriate that you know."

Jaune watched the boy intently but without intensity. It wouldn't do anybody any good if he scared or put Ren off in any way before he got to sharing something that could be troubling him - whether he admitted to it or not.

"My old village was named Kuroyuri, " Ren recounted. "It was during the middle of the night. My mother - my _birth_ mother - she... burst into my room urging me to leave with her. I could hear loud footsteps outside, inhuman footsteps, ones that echoed and shook the very ground."

"A Grimm?"

Ren took his eyes from the kitchen top and looked directly into Jaune's. With no verbal response, the blonde still understood his answer.

"My father came in afterward, wounded and limping. He said something about a monstrosity, a beast so foul that we had to run away from the village altogether. My mother, she tried to console me - tell me everything was going to be fine until..."

Jaune waited patiently for Ren to resume.

"...Until everything went black. I awoke in my Father's arms. I looked back towards our house. Destroyed. My mother - I... She didn't... I -"

The younger boy was engulfed in Jaune's arms. Despite the scent of onions and other assortments of vegetables that covered the apron of the older one, Ren welcomed Jaune's warm embrace. Jaune himself saw the pinpricks of tears begin to build up at the corners of Ren's pink-coloured eyes and could hear the way his breathing was slightly out of pattern. He'd been like that himself many times, even if the reasons for being in that state were _far_ less of a reason than Ren's.

"Jaune I -"

The young man in question interrupted the boy before he could speak, telling him: "I can't imagine what that could have felt like." Because. in truth, he couldn't. "Hell, the worst thing I've lost was my limited edition Pouchie-mon card on a weekend getaway to Patch!" Jaune tried to laugh but came out as a sort of choke eyes began to well tears of his own... "But _losing_ something - losing... _someone... _I just... want to be able to relate to it, you know? So I can attempt to lessen this... burden you have."

Honestly, Jaune wasn't a person who was good with words. But for this boy - this _child_ \- to have to go through something like that? It made his heart cry out. He was fifteen and couldn't bear the thought of living without his mother's warm smile waiting for him at home. The emotion of that thought projected through his heartfelt speech to Ren, hoping his will and want to comfort the raven-haired boy would come through. He assumed he did as Jaune felt the younger boy's tears through the apron he wore.

That was the last straw for the blonde, releasing his own tears quietly as he tried to console Ren.

Nora also appeared, streams of water pouring from her teal eyes as she came in to hug both Ren and Jaune - who was on his knees at the time. "Why - _sniff_ \- are we even crying?" The normally energetic girl asked.

It brought a smile to Jaune, who tried laughing - which once again ended up as a wet and disgusting sounding noise that emanated from his mouth. Ren continued to cry into Jaune's white apron.

Unbeknownst to both Nora and Jaune, however, was the smile on Ren's face. And the fact that he was crying tears of joy, his Semblance having calmed him down a while ago, even trying to tell Jaune that midway.

He was happy. Happy to have people like Jaune, Nora and Miss Shima to care for him.

As he cried and cried his happiness out, Ren forgot all about meat left in the oven over an hour ago.

The deeply-felt interaction was abruptly ended as smoke began to emerge from the bowels of the electrical appliance. Jaune cursed as he cried, trying to towel out the fire that had started. Nora ran around, screaming and flailing her arms like a headless chicken, in hopes that it would put an end to the steadily rising heat of the log house. Ren saved the day once more as he pulled a fire extinguisher -_ seriously, where did they get this stuff?_ \- out from the storage room and blasted the oven, along with Jaune, with white foam.

The threesome ended up laughing anyway, having pancakes for lunch; Nora had suggested it incessantly. Easy to make and easy to eat.

Engrossed in their meal, all three of them were unaware of the black and white bone-plated monster that crept at the border of the forest - red eyes staring into the windows.

* * *

**Ending notes:**

**Oooh, looks like all that negativity has attracted a little something-something. **

**I'd like to say that emotional stuff isn't something I'm too confident in, so criticism is always welcome!**

**Thanks for reading this chapter. Next chapter will probably be the end of the "Between a Flower and a Hammer" section of the story, but not the last time you see Shima and her rowdy bunch - they're pretty tightly knit now.**


	4. Cha 3: Between a Flower and a Hammer Fin

**Author's Notes:**

**Hello again!**

**Thanks for sticking with the story, this chapter's gonna finish up the first tiny section of the story and start the next so - before you read this chapter - place your bets on who the next kiddie Jaune'll meet! (Hint: read the first two words of the AN more carefully).**

**Additionally, I've rewritten the first chapter as it didn't sit well with me. If you would like to re-read it, go ahead. If not, keep scrolling!**

**Also, let me clear up a few things concerning the dreaded _timeline_ of this story.**

**So Jaune is younger than canon, around 15, and also the third oldest Arc sibling in this story. The Arc household goes like this:**

**Nicholas: 41**

**Juniper: 38**

**Sapphire and Saffron: 19**

**Jaune: 15**

**Coral and Azure: 13**

**Hazel and Jade: 12**

**Lavender: 10**

**Amber: 6**

**That's a range of _13_ years, ladies and gentlemen. the Arc patriarch and matriarch have been busy but at least they have hobbies to relax, amirite?**

**Most, if not all, of the RWBY cast are 8, which places Ruby herself at 6.**

**Shima is somewhere around 25, from Jaune's guessing.**

**The adults of the RWBY cast have been scaled with the children from the RWBY cast, so just take away a dozen or so years and you're golden.**

**I may or may not have withheld certain bits and pieces of information for myself, though...**

**With all that said and done, let's get onto the chapter, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. **

* * *

Chapter 3: Between a Flower and a Hammer III

* * *

Jaune tilted his head toward the TV as he lay sprawled on one of the sofas that resided in the living room.

"You sure it's fine that I leave you guys to do the dishes?" the settled blonde asked.

"It feels weird having been asked to look after you two and then proceed to grow into a couch potato while the kids I'm supposed to be watching are doing the chores."

Lunch, by that time, had been a few hours prior. The ticking of the clock indicating the time was now somewhere in the late afternoon.

Ren chuckled softly as he began to clear away the used dishes and silverware, placing them in the sink carefully.

"Please, Jaune, you've done quite a lot already - let me do a slight bit more and make Nora do _something,_" He said to the laying teen.

Nora made guttural noises of stress mixed with effort as she tried to stack as many dishes as she could ontop one another.

As Jaune looked at her quizzically, she was quick to reassure, "Ah - uh - don't worry about it, Jaune! I've - eep! I've haven't dropped a single one yet!"

A single plate fell from the wobbly stack and made a clamorous crash onto the wooden floor she stood on.

"Um... I've haven't dropped a second yet!" She quipped. Before sliding behind the kitchen door muttering apologies and promising to clean it up later.

"Nora..." Jaune offered a sympathetic glance to the boy as he continued, "Speaking of growing, if you _would_ like to do something, could you please head out back and tend to the flowerbed? I haven't had much time to do it myself recently and would very much appreciate if you could look to it in my stead."

Ren smiled as he, too, followed Nora into the kitchen.

The young knight's attention once again turned to the widescreen that was across the living room table.

An advertisement played, one concerning his one and only favourite cereal brand. They got some competitive-fighting child prodigy to endorse his sweet sugary snack, one with red hair and bright green eyes.

She talked about how she 'couldn't have won her debut tournament without the great taste of Pumpkin Pete's cereal', before posing with a box of the crunchy goodness; her weapons drawn.

Jaune really could not have cared less who they sponsored to approve of his cereal, as long as when he went to the store shelves and he could behold the sight of those beautiful brown flakes - he was happy.

However, the thought of competitive-fighting had the young Arc think as he lay. Shima had told him she was willing to teach Jaune a thing or two about how to '_not die next time_', but she never said he couldn't get a head-start, did she?

Pushing himself off the comfortable cushions of the couch, he made his way out of the front door - quickly returning to switch the TV off - before walking into the forest.

The young teen didn't stray too far away from the lodge, only a few hundred metres or so into the thick green forest that circled it. Jaune planned to find a nice, open area to practice with Crocea Mors in order to try get a better handle on her weight and balance.

His blonde hair wavered rhythmically to the light Mistralian breeze, too and fro. A few minutes pass and, lo and behold, an area of rolling green - small rocks and shrubs darted sparsely across the plain.

Drawing Crocea Mors, Jaune gave the ancestral blade a few practice swings before taking a one-handed stance to simulate a battle. Blue eyes drifted to the shimmering silver of Crocea Mors' unbreakable promise - her shield.

From using it a couple of days prior, the Arc found that it limited his vision and mobility slightly when constantly deployed.

To switch it from sheathe to shield, Jaune had to press a button on the underside of its surface - the mechanism being too far out of reach to do at a repeated rate.

If he could somehow figure out how to make the transition swifter and easier, Jaune may be able to place it on his forearm and have it shift at will to block incoming strikes - then to turn back to allow easier movement.

Perhaps it would be a problem to ponder for another time.

Raising his armoured arm, Jaune brought Crocea Mors down in a mighty swing and loved how she whispered in the wind. Again and again, he slashed against the free air as the gratifying gusts of force made the strands of grass at his feet shiver.

He redid the drills his father taught him: right downwards, left across, thrust, reset. Spin left across, thrust, reset. Parry upwards, parry right, parry left, counter thrust, reset.

Once more.

Another time.

Sweat shined and flew across Jaune's brow as he struggled to carry on. The blonde was at it for ten minutes straight, no end to the onslaught of disciplined method. His muscles screamed for an end, as his lungs were unable to, but as Crocea Mors now sang - Jaune had to think.

Sure, it was all well and good to have a firm grasp on established swordplay but what if it came down to an all-out brawl?

The blue-eyed blonde understood that Life waited for nobody, grabbing you by the balls at any time it wanted to. What if Jaune had to grab Life's balls back?

He quickly dismissed the thought with another set of slices and swings and a shake of his head.

For now, he'd rely on what he was taught. However, if - or when - Life decides to grab his balls... well, Life better be happy with the thought of having no children.

Jaune finally gave into his flesh's desires for respite, dropping his stance and breathing heavily. Panting in the cool wind, he looked to Crocea Mors and admired her fine edge.

Whatever it said about him, Jaune wasn't afraid to admit that an Arc couldn't truly be a Defender of the People without this blade. What could he ever do without it?

And didn't Ren say something about tending to the flowers?

He sheathed the brilliant steel and made his way back to where he came from, the intent of complying with Ren's request on his mind's forefront.

**/*-*/**

Amber Arc wasn't a scaredy-cat.

She was a big girl and not afraid of anything - whether it was spiders, heights, Coral or... well, anything!

Even when a black mass stalking the outside of her house with two hind legs and a mouth full of sharp, pointy teeth, looking straight at her through the glass of the downstairs living room window caught her eye - Amber was still a brave girl. But even brave girls scream sometimes.

Sometimes v_ery_ loudly.

Sapphire was soon by her side, bursting through the wooden door to find the source of her younger sister's distress, "Amber, what's wrong?"

"T-there... outside... a-a Grimm!" The youngest Arc replied, voice shaking along with her body as she pointed weakly to the approaching monstrosity.

"Oh, Amber..." the oldest Arc took her sister into an embrace, holding her golden head against her bosom. "Shh. Everything will be fine."

Soon enough, Coral walked in - and where Coral went, so did Azure. The older twin held a book open with one of her hands as she tore her eyes from the paper briefly to assess the situation. "That. Is a Grimm."

"Yeah, looks like a Beowolf." Azure added.

Sapphire turned to look at duo harshly before addressing them, "Thank you for the astute observation, you two. Now can somebody _please_ get Dad here to kill that thing?"

Hazel and Jade were at a classmate's house for today, somewhere in the nearby village safe while - unfortunately for Sapphire - her twin sister Saffron was out cruising across the sea to seek independence from the large family.

Damn it, why did the only other competent one have to want to leave?

"Uhm. I could go get Dad if you want," a quieter voice informed the four girls. The origin was Lavender, her blue eyes not meeting any of theirs from behind her large round glasses.

Sapphire's own eyes softened at the sight of the physically weakest sister. She was born frail and fragile, unable to so much as take part in a simple sport without something breaking or tearing. "Yes, please, Lav. Get Dad for us."

Lavender nodded as she rushed off. Well, rushing off as fast as she could without bumping into something and risking another injury.

Amber turned her head to peek outside the transparent glass once more, reeling it back into the safe chest of Sapphire after blue eyes met crimson. Sapphire shushed her and stroked her head affectionately, all while the remaining Arc sisters gazed at the Beowolf wearily.

"Don't worry girls, I'll take care of it quickly." Nicholas Arc stomped through the living room, Juniper and Lavender the following suit. "I'll just take out Crocea Mors for a little dance and we'll -" he stopped as he reached for the wall where the sword normally lay, realising it was taken by their one, and only, son in his rebellious phase.

Nicholas paused with his hand suspended in the air.

A second passed.

Another.

He brought it back to roughly scratch his beard in frustration, only to loosen the joints it was connected to before making his way out of the door - cursing a certain knuckled-headed son of his.

"Mom," Azure quizzed. "What's Dad doing?"

Sapphire was swift to add on, "Why is he walking towards that Grimm while stretching his muscles?"

The mother in question could only lift her hand to her face and lay her palm against her cheek in lost nostalgia. "Because he's your father," she said. "And it's one of the many reasons I came to love him so dearly."

"Ohohoho, I have _got_ to see this. Might have to take some inspiration for my novels." Coral quipped as she snapped her book closed.

The other sisters had their mouths agape for the rest of the day as they watched their father rip a fully-grown Beowolf a new one with his bare hands.

Whoever said an Arc needed their blade to defend those he cared for?

**/*-*/**

Lie Ren was anything but a scaredy-cat.

He was extremely mature for his age, almost never feeling afraid of anything - whether it be Nora, Nora, Nora or forgetting to take the laundry in on a rainy day.

Really, he almost never felt too much of anything thanks to his Semblance keeping his emotions in check. It really came in useful when trying not to blush under praise (_too_ _much_), keeping himself from tackling Nora in frustration and hiding from the occasional Grimm that threatened his very existence on Remnant.

"Mphhbrl!" Nora tried to communicate, her voice muffled by Ren's hand. His, now hard, rosy eyes tracking the coal-coloured beast that roamed the solitary log cabin, shaking the structure.

He held Nora tight to his chest, just like the night he lost everything, hoping the close distance would help the calming nature of his Semblance wash over her. Ren's hand kept clamped on his best friend's mouth praying she wouldn't do anything stupid with the help of his unique power.

All that hope came to an abrupt and disappointing end as he felt something warm and wet slither against his palm.

Drawing his hand back quickly, and _very_ quietly, he stared at the girl in front of him incredulously. "Did you _seriously_ just lick my hand, Nora?"

The girl in question turned her head to meet his eyes and confirmed, "Well, duh. You weren't letting me speak, I _do_ know how to be quiet, Ren." Nora _whispered_. That's was a big milestone for Ren.

He was so proud.

Said proud feeling eventually was dragged down an alleyway and curb-stomped viscously as the bear-like Grimm stopped in its tracks and snorted horribly though it's snout.

The two children could see it's four legs through the doorway of the storage room. Huddled in the corner and surrounded by large oak boxes, the duo were out of sight due to both the obstacles and Ren's Semblance.

Unfortunately, Ren knew his Semblance couldn't hide their presence forever.

While, yes, he could suppress the negative emotions that both himself and anyone near him were feeling - it wouldn't stop a Grimm from pouncing if he stood in front of it without another source of negativity to distract it.

Double unfortunately, their home was somewhere in the middle of nowhere. No people in nearly a mile radius... apart from Jaune.

Jaune.

He left the cabin while Nora and he were cleaning the dishes, going somewhere into the woods to do Gods know what even though Ren asked for him to take care of the flowers.

Damn it, Jaune!

But he thought about it again, the injured form of the blonde in Shima's bedroom. That was the damage done by _three_ Beowolves. The Grimm that broke into the house looked to be an Ursa, but bigger and with more bone things than the pictures Shima had shown them.

Perhaps it was better he escape instead.

An unsightly hole decorated the kitchen wall from where the larger Ursa had charged through. It's deep scarlet eyes pierced their souls as it's black body pierced the logged structure. Ren basically carried Nora to the storage room before masking them both with his Semblance in order to escape, albeit possibly temporary.

It had just... appeared.

As though it had been there for a while, just choosing to strike now. Nora and he were minding their own business, completing the chore they tasked themselves with. All until he met the gaze of the Grimm, just before it prepared to charge straight through the wall where he saw it.

Those eyes... it just struck the utmost amount of fear it could have, most of it suppressed by his Semblance - but enough to have a clear visible expression on his face.

Ren's eyes honed onto the Ursa, analysing the situation.

He couldn't make a break for it, he was too slow to outrun it - especially since he would have to guide Nora too - and there wasn't enough space to dodge the behemoth if it swung.

They sure couldn't fight it; they were just children! The closest thing he's had to a weapon was the parting dagger of his late father, which he _left_ back in the wreckage of Kuroyuri.

The best course of action, in this case, was to wait and pray to whatever deity was listening for safety.

Hugging the orange-haired girl he'd become so close with, he closed his eyes to concentrate for now.

"Come on, Ren... Jaune'll save us. He has too."

"Of course he will, Nora. Of course he will."

But Ren wasn't so sure.

**/*-*/**

Descending, the burning sun left its post from above Jaune's head. It drew back into the horizon, letting her sister take over in her all her glorious, broken beauty. The royal orange of the sky is what had Jaune enamored as he returned past the tree border to see the flowerbed at the back of the house untouched and alluring.

It only highlighted the fact a massive cavity was present in the wall where the sink should be.

The blonde could feel his heart begin to pump, pump and pump. His breathing became more shallow and sharp while his muscles began to twitch in anticipation.

Ren!

Nora!

Where could those two have gone? It was possible that they were able to escape whatever caused that massive crater, running out into the forest somewhere safe.

Jaune's inner cynic punctually punctured whatever bubble the sentiment was contained in before it could float to a place where Jaune could have any confidence in the foolish thought.

If they were still inside, though, would that not mean whatever busted through the wall was _also_ inside? Then the two kids _he_ was supposed to care for were still in peril.

Jaune once more rose Crocea Mors from her steely slumber and this time, revealed her unbreakable word on his forearm in case he needed protection. And Jaune believed he absolutely did.

Blood pumped.

He rushed into the architectural fashion statement yelling, "Nora! Ren! Are you two in here?!"

His eyes surveyed the inside of the house. The majority of the inner walls were torn and broken in some way - all barely managing to stay upright. It was all once tidy and neat but now dishes lay broken on the floor and furniture turned over as if something was aggressively searching for something.

...or someone.

However what caught his eye was the black, bulking beast that was roaming the corridor.

Gods that was an... Ursa Major.

He'd only ever heard about them from his father's tales. Jaune had seen Ursai before, he had video games to thank for that knowledge.

But this... thing, it was substantially greater in size to what he always imagined them to be. _Major-_ly bigger than what he had always imagined them to be.

Damn it, brain. Not the time.

It's giant maw opened and closed, the blonde swearing steam came searing out before it let out an ear-rupturing roar and began barreling towards him - no thought for the hallway it was ripping apart in the process, tearing down pictures and paintings alike.

It's not like it had a reason too anyway, it sensed the intense distress and chased after it.

Diving back outside, Jaune narrowly evaded the devastating form of the Ursa Major. He struggled to regain his footing, the noise of animalistic bellows plaguing his mind with fear.

Exactly what the Grimm wanted.

Unexpectedly, the bear-like behemoth stood on its hind legs and set free another hellish roar before preparing to charge once more.

Steeling himself, Jaune readied Crocea Mors to somehow counter the impending assault in his direction - intending to cut the beast while it charged. There was no chance he was running away.

Not again.

Letting loose, the Grimm attacked again with its legs propelling the mass at treacherous speeds towards Jaune.

While the liquid in his veins boiled, the teen himself ran towards the Ursa Major and slid past its side on his knees.

It hurt, but not as much as when steel met coal flesh. Jaune brought Crocea Mors' brand to lacerate the Grimm's hind tendon as he slid, wounding it.

Granted, Jaune didn't know it himself and it was on _complete_ accident but the target howled and cried in torment nonetheless.

Adrenaline coursed through his bloodstream, supplying him with enough vigor to regain his stance and prepare for another onslaught from the larger Ursa.

Thrashing in an uncontrollable manner, the Grimm swung and bit in Jaune's general direction causing mud and dirt to spit across the grassy field, some of it dirtying Jaune's vision.

Black blurred as the behemoth of a bear lashed out over and over.

One right swing fatally aimed at the golden-haired teen's head.

Unable to sense the oncoming claw, it's purpose to tear the hopeful Huntsman's jugular, a shrill voice reverberated across the viridescent pasture.

"JAUNE, NO!"

Unmistakably, the owner of it was Nora - who stood in the wreckage of the cabin clinging to Ren's green outfit with one hand and reaching out with the other. Ren, in as much anguish as his Semblance allowed, looked painstakingly at Jaune's helpless form.

His eyelids fluttering open, cerulean met vermilion as Jaune took notice of the attack.

If it connected, it would surely take his head off - the blonde thought. Even if he brought his shield up, the power behind it would probably crush him.

It couldn't happen again.

He couldn't be this weak _again_!

The blonde saw his entire life flash before his eyes.

Honestly, Jaune thought it was a myth - it didn't happen last time he almost died to a Grimm, so it couldn't have been true.

But _unlike_ last time, he saw his family.

He saw Saphire and Saffron forcing their teachings of cooking and laundry onto him.

He saw Amber forcing him to tuck her into bed after a long day at school.

He saw Coral and Azure force him into a cat-maid outfit to simulate a particular scene for a _particular_ one of her novels.

He saw Hazel and Jade at the arcade forcing him onto a dance machine.

He saw his father forcing him to take up music and his mother in bed, sick, as he willingly made her breakfast.

His heart clenched at the sight despite, in hindsight, the sustained theme of 'force'.

But the second chance he was given to fulfill his parting word was slowly sliding out of his grip.

What Jaune did not expect to see in the next vision was Shima, her encouraging smile beaming at him.

After, he saw Ren - the boy who opened his heart to him despite only knowing Jaune for a few days - looking at him with admiration and expectancy.

Light flashed once more, revealing Nora in all her excitable glory, cheering and jumping.

Was it all for him?

Jaune wasn't going to be weak.

Not _again._

Because this time, he had a whole lot more to protect behind his unbreakable word than just himself.

An inferno rose inside of the knight; an inferno coloured white, all while his soul burned with determination - it's very presence creating a relentless glow around his body and weapon. Newfound strength allowed Jaune to tear Crocea Mors' shield through the air to meet the claw that threatened the blonde's life.

Another bright, blinding flash of white light - not inside Jaune's mind, however.

It rendered all parties sightless shortly, even a certain raven and orange-haired duo who now hid in the border of forest.

Ren had took Nora behind a tree after she cried Jaune's name in desperation, letting his Semblance wash over them both in order to conceal them.

No matter how much the two wanted to help Jaune, there wasn't much they could do to combat a monster over four times their height and probably weighing a dozen times more than both of them combined.

It just wasn't possible.

Which pained Ren more than he cared to admit.

But it appeared as though they would actually be able to help their blonde saviour as he skidded and scraped across the dirt and grass, conveniently stopping just in front of the two hiding children.

The Grimm faired no better, it being hurdled towards the log cabin and creating yet _another _hole in the same wall prior. The lack of support causing the structure to collapse, covering the creature in rubble and debris.

With the monster out of the count, Nora virtually lept to his side - breaking free from Ren's firm grasp - in order to shake the knight's shoulder roughly. "Jaune!" She yelled.

The blonde's attention slowly fixated onto the young girl, albeit wavering, and tried addressing her. "Nora..?"

The girl wrapped her tiny arms around Jaune's figure, who was more in shock due to confusion rather than pain.

Not to say it didn't hurt, because _damn _it hurt.

He communicated his uncertainty, hoping somebody would have an answer to satisfy him. "What the hell just happened?"

Ren, the ever helpful person he is, gave Jaune a reply. "That, Jaune, was your Aura. And you seem to have a lot of it," he complimented.

At least Jaune thought he did.

"Enough to send that massive Grimm flying backwards after contact with you."

As if it was supposedly called upon, the Ursa Major made its state of being known by rumbling the various debris that caved it.

A guttural snarl turned into a head-splitting roar as it broke free of its wooden prison. Bits of foundational wood and remains of furniture became airborne, some flying towards them that were too close for comfort. The flatscreen television was among the list of various flung items, Jaune internally wincing at the would-be cost of it.

Wherever they could have got it from.

Looking back to the children, Ren eyed the behemoth in caution and Jaune could _feel_ Nora's arms becoming tighter around his midsection.

Gently prying her from his body, Jaune stood and placed her in Ren's hands. "Go on and hide, you two," he warned bravely. "I've got this."

Pink bore into blue, pupils meeting. "I know you do, Jaune. And this time..."

"...I'm sure." The green-wearing child said before taking Nora to the tree border once more, her hand in his.

That sealed the deal for Jaune.

The determination in those eyes resonated with Jaune immensely.

He couldn't lose.

Not here, not now.

Bearing a more confident smile, Jaune drew both halves of Crocea Mors - preparing for the Grimm's charge.

Its done the same thing twice now, no reason for a mindless beast to change its... _mind_ now of all times.

Damn it, brain, focus! No time for silly coincidental wordplay!

As predicted, the burly creature once more launched itself at the steadied knight - it's hind left leg limping slightly from Jaune's previous attack. Stopping before it's body collided with the armoured teen's, it fell back onto it's hind legs to tower over Jaune.

A right paw came swinging under a roar, Jaune rolling to the side - not wanting to take the brunt of the force behind it.

However, Jaune was now _behind_ the Grimm.

That meant it was vulnerable to being pierced by Crocea Mors.

Or so the blonde thought, just before the Grimm swiftly spun and whipped it's right arm backwards like a log.

It was fast!

The size of the Ursa didn't accurately represent it's agility as it's offending limb was about to catch Jaune off-guard on his sword arm.

Spinning himself, Jaune had to turn to face away from the Grimm in order to allow his shield to intercept the strike.

He buckled under the sheer weight of the attack and, dissimilar to last time, there was no explosion of white to interrupt their deadlock.

His soul burned even brighter and power coursed through his very being.

Releasing a roar of his own, Jaune pushed and pushed back against the might of the Ursa successfully - it staggering in surprise at it's prey's sudden strength.

Jaune saw his _true_ chance here, turning again in order to spin attack the same leg he did before; aimed to gash behind the beast's knee.

Sliding for the third time across the dirt, he revolved himself to allow Crocea Mors to sing again to the intended target.

Shrieking, roaring - whatever demonic sound that emerged from its jaws - what mattered was it was now on all four legs, it's back left leg deformed from repeated mangling.

The behemoth's back was turned to Jaune this time, allowing Jaune to build both the speed and courage to drive himself upwards off of the Grim's boned back. As he soared, he steadied Crocea Mors to deliver the killing blow... straight through it's head.

Bone met steel, cracking under it's immense downwards momentum. Jaune, unable to keep balance on its head, rolled forwards kissing grass and grime on the forest ground.

With a final cry, the Ursa Major allowed itself to be taken into the wind - it's remnants floating into the, now night, sky. Crocea Mors stay plunged into the floor where the monster's head previous lay, her fine steel glimmering in the moonlight; her job done for now.

Ren and Nora came bursting from the bushes, Nora - and even, Ren - both coming in to warmly embrace their blonde hero.

Jaune sat up, propped by his arms, and panted as the two children expressed their worry (in Ren's case) and amazement at his '_super awesome swishy-slash-slash_' (in Nora's case).

"OH. MY. GOSH. Jaune! You were _amazing_! How'd you even do all that?!" she shouted.

Ren pulled away from Jaune and looked at him with a raised eyebrow suspiciously.

"Are you sure you almost died to three Beowolves? Are you really Jaune?" the boy asked, kneeling in the grass.

Jaune laughed, sensing his teasing tone, "Pfft. The one and only, Ren. But it does make me wonder how..."

Nora pulled away next, sitting cross-legged next to Ren. Her wide smile was contagious, making Jaune grace a small smile despite what just occurred.

"It was probably thanks to your Aura, silly."

"I still don't have a single clue what that is, but thanks, Nora."

"You're welcome!"

"Aura," Ren said. "Is the physical manifestation of your soul. It has many uses and abilities, most primarily to shield us in a way. Do you remember that white glow around you?"

Jaune nodded.

_That_ was your Aura, Jaune."

"That was my Aura..?" An awestruck Jaune whispered questioningly.

Nora nodded vigorously, "Yeah! It's like a _forcefield_! And _yours_ is like a _super_ forcefield!"

"Really?"

"...If you want to think of it like that, then yes. It is indeed like a forcefield."

"Hey, hey, Jauney! Did you know me and Ren also have our Auras unlocked?" The animated ginger said.

Jaune didn't even know if that was supposed to be impressive, considering he didn't even know what Aura was five minutes ago. How was one to even unlock their Aura? The questions kept on piling in the young blonde's head.

"We do indeed. However, I don't believe we could take the pressure of a fully grown Ursa's arm without coming out relatively unscathed," added Ren - gesturing towards Jaune's dirty, but all things considered, practically unharmed figure.

Jaune had to do a double take of himself, taking in the surprising lack of anything _fatal_ or _life-threatening_ on his body.

Standing up, he found himself back on the ground - legs seemingly giving up on him.

Ren and Nora also seemed a little stunned at the action, or failure to complete it.

Ren looked to Jaune before sighing. "In any event, I guess taking on a Grimm of that nature had your body put in over time. And the adrenaline is wearing off."

"Adrenaline..?" The blonde questioned. "Woah, Imma feelin'... a little... doozy..." Jaune completely collapsed, his back flopping onto the cold, hard ground.

...

"Renny, did Jaune just pass out?"

"Yes, Nora. Jaune did indeed pass out."

Nora picked up a stick, one she managed to somehow acquire out of nowhere, and prodded Jaune. And prodded him again.

"Wow, he really did pass out."

"...Yes."

"That. Is. _Awesome!_" She threw the stick in the air, synchronised with both her arms in a cheer.

"Nora..." Too exhausted to deal with his ginger-haired friend, Ren looked to Jaune's sword - still shining in the light of the broken moon above.

Jaune really did save their lives tonight.

That was something Ren would never forget.

The boy who he had only met no more than two or three days ago had saved both his and Nora's lives.

It was unbelievable.

His gaze wandered to the two structures that Shima, Nora and he had spent building over a couple of years, both toppled as a result of the battle.

Seeing her bestest friend looking worried, Nora piped her concern. "What's up, Renny?" She asked just after poking Jaune's unconscious body a few extra times. For good measure, of course.

He sighed again, closing his eyes and hiding his pink pupils from the cold night air. He pinched the bridge of his nose with one and hand and placed the other on his hip, wondering the answer to the real question. Ren hoped Miss Shima would forgive him for his use of language but...

"...Where the hell are we going to sleep tonight?"

**/*-*/**

Pyrrha Nikos was a patient girl.

She really had to be, considering all the extra baggage that seemed to come along with championship fighting.

_Especially_ considering she had come out of her debut national tournament absolutely trouncing the competition and winning by a landslide.

But, as she stepped down from the bright part of the shooting stage - she confirmed something that had been on her mind ever since her first 'big' victory.

"Miss Nikos, good job out there! I'm right to assume we'll see you tomorrow for your next shoot?" Her _agent_, or whatever, questioned as she placed Miló and Akoúo̱ against the wall to the side carefully.

She confirmed that she did indeed _hate_ it.

_All_ of it.

The sponsors, the deals, the photo shoots, the _politics_.

Pyrrah shivered at the thought.

She lived for the thrill of a fight, the pumping of adrenaline, the singing of steel on steel - that's what made her happy!

Not all of this, _this... _crap that came with it!

But...

Her parents, they were happy with what their daughter could not be content with.

Alexander and Helena Nikos were _not_ bad people at all. They had been nothing but supportive in Pyrrha's wish to take part in competitive fighting, particularly after they discovered her innate natural talent for combat and her keen warrior's prowess.

At first, it was all still small scale.

The red-haired champion, then still green in the arena, entered tournaments that nobody really cared about- but had cash prizes.

That, coupled with the earnings their family were using to barely get by, allowed Pyrrha to eventually afford equipment - _better_ equipment - such as now beloved signature weapons: Miló and Akoúo̱.

Her spear-gun-sword and shield offered so much versatility; covering each other's holes and weaknesses, allowing both grace and power when used. Pyrrha loved her weapon dearly.

She knew the audience loved it too.

The young champion had heard of replicas and toy versions being sold as merchandise to her _adoring_ fans from her agent. It didn't really feel right to Pyrrah, she felt Miló and Akoúo̱ belonged and resonated only with her. Letting others hold them, replicas or not?

A discomforting type sense bubbled in the pits of her stomach.

Emerald green eyes surveyed the recording area, looking for a certain door that led somewhere - anywhere - away from this place.

Lamentably, the voice of her agent stopped the red-haired girl in her tracks just before escaping.

The door half-opened, Mr. _Matter_(?) informed, "By the way, Miss Nikos, your parents are currently in our conference room liaising with our CEO."

Cupping a hand near his mouth in likeness to a whisper, "It seems that you may get us as a permanent sponsor _very_ soon."

Pyrrah thought that sounded absolutely and utterly - "Grand! That sounds grand. I shall wait for my parents in the lounge, so if you would excuse me..."

"Of course, Miss Nikos. And again, good work today."

With a final wave, she exited the recording studio and sighed lightly so that nobody except herself could her the small exit of air.

Pyrrha couldn't care less about whatever sticker or logo they would slap onto Akoúo̱'s surface. In fact, she would very much prefer that brands and slogans stay _off_ her shield, thank you very much.

Except Pumpkin Pete.

Pumpkin Pete's advertisement was surprisingly fun to film. Pyrrha was told to learn an entire dance routine with her weapons - performed with their trademark grey bunny mascot. The finished product looked wonderful on air, too - Pyrrah admitted.

As an added bonus, she got herself a generous amount of complimentary Pumpkin Pete's Marshmellow Flakes boxes as part of her contract.

And they were _good._

Not _for you,_ just _good._

The young champion found herself now outside under the gentle breath of Mistralian wind. She wouldn't wait in the lounge for her parents - instead take a walk and return in half an hour to meet them.

Pyrrah wanted to clear her head and it was a reasonable action to take. Pyrrah took a few tentative steps through the forest border before taking stride into the wilderness.

A light brown path, coated in small pebbles and soil crunched satisfyingly under her heels while the warming sun above tickled the surface of her skin and hair.

The Mistralian forests always took on a blue-ish hue this time of year, it was bizarre but nevertheless beautiful. Her gaze wandered around the wildlife, looking longingly at the different forms of life buzzing.

So longingly, that in actuality, Pyrrha had been on the path for around fifteen minutes already - noticing the path had gotten smaller and smaller; narrower and narrower, to the point where it was so faded that it might as well not have been there.

Again, her gaze wandered.

Vivid and vibrant variants of flowers, hustle and bustle of joyfully twittering birds in the canopy and the rustles of bushes as people walked through them.

...Rustles of bushes?

...People? This far out in the woods?

The irony went unappreciated.

It could have been a species of squirrel or another rodent of some type darting through the tall shrubs. Gods forbid it was a Grimm that had strayed.

Pyrrha knew she shouldn't have, but her curiosity overwhelmed her sense of caution and logic - meaning she was now making her way to the bush that shook steadily just a moment before.

Voices had sounded faintly, the young champion leaning in to absorb the conversation as best she could.

"Hey, Perry, I don't know about this man," said the man to the left. He wore standard civilian clothing with the addition of a navy face scarf covering the bottom half of his features.

It didn't stop him from speaking clearly, however.

"What isn't there to get, Killin?" 'Perry' asked under clear exasperation.

Around his eyes were thick, cyclical glasses - his clothing much the same as his partner's in the way of being 'civilian'-esque.

What was more interesting were the respective scaly skins and tails of Martin and Perry respectively. "The boss lady told us to pull this off, so we pull it off."

Scratching his head, Marty turned away from his tailed-faunus brethren, "It's just... we've done things so differently until now. I don't know how Ghira would feel if -"

"Ghira is a nice man... too nice. We've tried his methods for years, but what's it resulted in? Baby steps? The boss lady, though... I think she's onto something."

"What do you mean?" The scaled-faunus asked.

"Look," Perry started, "if we take down the SDC storage unit that's in this town - _that's_ gonna make a statement. _That's_ gonna make them finally listen to us, once and for all."

An attack?

It was true, there was a relatively large - in comparison to the town she currently resided in for her photo shoot - Schnee Dust Company unit in the area. It's where she was able to restock her ammunition and weapon-related necessities, after all.

But why would they want to attack it?

To send a message?

What kind of message did they even want to send?

"I guess I can see where you're coming from..."

"See? Here, put this on," Perry requested from his friend, handing him a white porcelain mask.

"What is this?"

"A Grimm mask. Some kid back in Menagerie's starting the whole thing, it's pretty sweet."

"Huh," Marty said before sliding the ornament onto his face.

_This is madness_, Pyrrah thought. _I don't really understand, but if an attack is to befall on that innocent town, I have to do something._

She knew she was but a child, but children were easily blinded by ideals.

Reaching behind her shoulder to draw Akoúo̱ and Miló, the red-head noticed the distinct lack of shape and weight of her weapons. It appears she had left them back at the studio after their long use as props left them sweaty and hot.

With no weapon, it would be safer to leave and report this to the authorities.

They would have her help, of course, however - she needed to escape for now to bring justice later.

One step backwards became two and two became three.

Three steps backwards became a resounding crack of a twig underneath the weight of her heels.

It was inevitable she would be found out after a noise such as that.

"Who's there?" The two faunus shot to their feet, eyes racing to find the source of the sound.

Pyrrha herself turned to blast herself across the forest green at full speeds, only to bump into something - someone - who stopped her.

She bounced off of the chest of a man, winged by two others, all having features of faunus in one way or another.

The central faunus looked at her amused, "Well, well, well, what are you doing all the way out here, little lady?"

His hand reached to grab her, Pyrrha - with all her training - stole the arm from the air and twisted it into an unimaginable shape which earned a yelp of pain from the obviously older man.

"Ah! God damn it! Hnngrh, a... little help, guys?"

His entourage looked to each other before throwing themselves at the girl before them, who had just arm-locked somebody twice her size.

She was able to dodge the first charge, after letting go of the man's arm before narrowly missing the second charge with grace.

Pyrrha tried to keep calm under the pressure of something that was potentially life-threatening but in the heat of the battle, she forgot all about the two other faunus from earlier - both of which rushed to her position in order to stop the girl who was kicking the asses of three men.

Said girl didn't even turn around to meet the metal pipe head on, it slamming into the back of her head.

And for the first time in her life, Pyrrah Nikos was knocked out in combat.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

**Aaaand that's a Pyrrha down. No, I don't find it realistic she could take on five grown ass men as an eight-year-old child. Trained, yes. Invincible? No. It's ironic, really.**

**Also, it's funny how I say that but then make Jaune defeat an Ursa Major. Alright, time to explain:**

**Aura = Soul / if Soul = Brimming with determination then, Aura = stronger / Jaune's Aura is already pretty big, let's just amp that to 11 / It's like when Cardin punched him but instead amped by 11 / Aura flows into weapons = really good swishy-slash-slash from our blonde knight.**

**Good? Great.**

**Thanks for sticking with The Babysitter Arc, see you next chapter!**

**Oh, and let me try my hand at one of these, all criticism is welcome.**

* * *

_Omake:_

Nicholas Arc strode through the front door, blood of Beowolf fresh on his grey plates armour, gloved hands and various articles of clothing.

"Holy shit, Dad. That. Was. Amazing." Coral stated, a dopey smile on her face - no doubt inspired to write some sort of Grimm and human scene for one of her novels, where the humans are the ones dominating.

Juniper and Nicholas' eyes synchronously narrowed their blue eyes onto their daughter.

Noticing their glares, Cora opened her book once more to hide her face, "Ahem... haha. Sorry." she mumbled, making her way upstairs with a waving Azure in tow.

All gazes eventually trailed away from their questionably deranged sibling/daughter, instead this time Sapphire questioned their father.

"On a serious note, Dad, where did you learn to do that? The way you... _ripped_ apart that Beowolf made it seem like you were experienced tearing down adult Grimm with just your hands."

"Well," Nicholas took and hand and placed it against his head before crossing his arms, "on the field, you need to be prepared for all things - such as losing your weapon. It's not uncharted territory for me."

"Ah, right." Sapphire made a sound of acknowledgment.

"It's not to say these hands haven't been in... _never before seen places_, though," chuckled Nicholas, looking knowingly to his wife.

Juniper stared back with eyes as wide as places before they narrowed predatorily onto her man, the blood on his chest already turning to dust and disappearing - escaping from the very scene unfolding before it.

The Arc siblings were not so lucky, however.

"Oh... Nicky..." Juniper sighed dreamily.

"Come on, dear, not in front of the children..."

"But," the Arc matriarch placed her hand on her husband's armour plated chest, "they'll have to learn somehow, right?"

"You're a naughty, woman, June.

"I'm _your_ naughty woman, Nicky. Oop -!" The woman was interrupted as she was snagged into a bridal hold and subsequently dragged upstairs giggling about "big, strong, Hunstman hands".

Sapphire had her mouth agape, this time not in surprise but instead horror.

Her blonde head of hair slowly turned to Lavender who's eyes remained at the top of the staircase staring while lost in thought.

She herself had somewhat of the same sentiment but tried to remain cool-headed in an effort to play it off to the youngest Arc.

Amber's head slid around to face Sapphire's, still in her arms from earlier's predicament, before posing the question: "Is that how there are so many of us?"

Sapphire fainted.

* * *

**I'VE MADE A BIG MISTAKE. **

**Looks like I've given Jaune an extra sister in the form of Azure... uh. Let's do him a favour and fix that really quickly...**

* * *

_Omake 2:_

Azure looked quizzically at her twin sister, wondering what all the chalk circles meant in their room.

"Coral, what are we doing now?"

"Just some stuff for my new novel. It's gonna be a sci-fi thriller with supernatural elements. Wanna help out with a couple of scenes?" Coral replied.

"You never give me a choice anyway, so sure."

Coral pushed her small glasses up her nose before getting behind the confused twin and moving her into the circle. "Great! Just stand here for a second."

The aspiring novelist coughed before closing her eyes and focusing.

"Sis? What are you - "

_"VENIT DIABOLUS ACCIPERE MEO OBLATIO"_

A fash of the chalk circle turning a blood red engulfed the entire room, hands shooting up and clutching Azure. Before she could even scream, the hands had already dragged her down into the circle of deep crimson - leaving no trace.

Breathing heavily, Coral looked at the space that once occupied a white chalk marking. "Nobody will ever know you even existed, dear sister... muhahahaHAHAHAHA!

Two swift knocks on the door ended her maniacal cackling, prompting Coral to glare wearily at the wooden entrance.

"Coral, is everything alright in there?" Her mother, Juniper, asked.

"No problem at all, Mom..." she replied - looking around her room to find no trace of her sister or any of her belongings.

"...No problem at all."

* * *

**_I'm so sorry, Azure. _**


End file.
